


Welcome to Game Night

by PhantomDreamshade



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Bear with me everyone, Character Bios, DMing is hard, Novelization Attempt, beautiful chaos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-03-25 20:41:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13842639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomDreamshade/pseuds/PhantomDreamshade
Summary: A sleepy town plagued by mysterious goings-on. Trips across dimensions. Ancient evil artifacts. Plots by Archfiends. Alternatively, a fantasy playground where halflings flirt with demons and people lose their sanity.In other words, a Dungeon Master's attempt at novelizing his imaginary adventures with his wonderful group of friends. Welcome to game night.





	1. Shadebrook - A Summary

**Author's Note:**

> So, because half of the reason I'm doing this is to keep my players updated on what goes on when they miss a session or two, I'll be starting off with a summary of everything that's happened so far followed by some character bios. The first actual play session might not be uploaded for some time, so fair warning.

Three strange people arrived in the isolated human village of Shadebrook, entering the City Hall one by one. The full name of the first was Silver Tongue of the Distant Rain, a cat-like Tabaxi woman hailing from a distant, tropical continent. She wore the dark clothes of an assassin over her mottled grey fur and slipped into the building without so much as a sound.

The second shared Silver’s animal-like features, though his belonged to a bird - perhaps a crow. He was a Kenku by the name of Sweeper, dressed in simple clothes and a green cloak, missing his left arm. He gave the building’s guard a respectful bow, and joined Silver in the room.

The third carried a little more swagger - her name was Tenebris Orchitis. She appeared human, at first glance - but her waist-long golden hair, crowned by a circlet, stopped just above a black-scaled tail. Her dark leather armor was adorned with daggers of various forms, and her teeth were sharp.

Soon, another person joined the three in the room - a woman with a clean-shaven head, tanned and wearing an armless set of ornate, if well-used, armor. Her bare arms were covered in pale scars and she carried herself with pride. Her name was Vierna Galad, a paladin of Bahamut.

Vierna had been charged with the safety of Shadebrook, and she put out a call for adventurers to help her investigate some strange goings-on in the sleepy town. While she was expecting two others to arrive as well, she decided to set these three on an investigation into a mysterious string of thefts around the village. The three linked the stolen valuables to the sewer system and descended below the streets - there, they found a wererat by the name of Kinney. They made short work of him and returned the people’s stolen goods.

The next day, another one of Vierna’s guests arrived. His name was Cyrus, and he wore ornate blue and gold robes befitting a sorcerer. Beneath his hood, his eyes shined with the touch of the divine.

Vierna sent Cyrus, Sweeper, and Tenebris to investigate a lonely cabin on the nearby Lanett Peak due to reports of strange lights and sounds coming from it at night. There they found a man that called himself Alexander and his half-elf daughter Charity. Upon further investigation, they found a mysterious sigil in a nearby mountain cave - Alexander then revealed he was actually a burly, black-skinned and red-horned Tiefling named Azerith, born in the Nine Hells. He was sent to the material plane by his father Dispater, one of the lords of the Hells, to steal an artifact hidden within a vault underneath the city. Instead, he left the Hells behind, eventually adopted Charity, and created the sigil to cloak Shadebrook from Dispater.

Meanwhile, Silver was sent to retrieve the last party member Vierna was expecting - a mysterious ranger known in many circles as the Shadow of Death. Silver found the cloaked ranger, also blessed with the touch of the angels, fending off a troop of Blight monsters attacking a merchant caravan headed for Shadebrook. One of the merchants was gravely poisoned, and the cure required something called a Dawn Lily - a flower that grew only in the Faewilde.

Silver and Shadow learned of a fey crossing at the Lake of Songs, deep in the nearby Cloverwood. After waiting for twilight and entering the fey realm, they met a mischievous fairy named Trin and her Faerie Dragon companion Rux, who claimed to be friends with a girl named Charity. Trin told them that a hag named Granny Agnes controlled the Dawn Lilies, and they met with her. Interestingly enough, Agnes was willing to give them a lily in exchange for delivering a letter to the man who lives in the cabin on Lanett Peak.

The letter turned out to be a threat from Dispater, asking for the item within Shadebrook’s vault in exchange for Charity’s safety. Silver, Sweeper, and Shadow descended into the sewers once again to find the vault - and found Vierna praying within it. Upon further investigation, the vault was sealed by ancient magic originating from Ioun, Goddess of Knowledge.

Azerith knew of a dilapidated shrine to Ioun in the Cloverwood and took Silver, Tenebris, and Sweeper there. They descended into the shrine, avoiding traps and powerful stone golems, to find a riddle that suggested a potion called Cursebane might be the key to opening the vault - all with the help of a charming halfling bard by the name of Mika Shirin, dressed in fine burgundy and black clothes befitting a maestro.

While they were away, the town’s local temple to Ioun was attacked by what appeared to be devils. Fearing his sigil had been rendered inert, Azerith asked the party to get whatever is inside the vault in order to get it as far away from his father as possible.

The party brewed a batch of Cursebane (and in the process traded a ‘piece of their fortune’ to Granny Agnes for certain ingredients), and headed to the vault - they find that Vierna was actually sent to Shadebrook to guard that very vault, and lured her away with a forged letter. After opening the vault, they found nothing but a severed hand - and upon seeing it, Azerith immediately said they should flee.

He explained that he believed it to be the Hand of Vecna - an artifact from a dead lich-god with great power. He brought them to an ancient mausoleum in the Cloverwood called the Stone Tomb and inside they found a shadow crossing. Legends said that the hand might be destroyed in a place called Ravenloft, accessed through the Shadowfell - and he led the party there.

The party found themselves spirited away to Ravenloft as soon as they arrived in the Shadowfell by some mysterious force, scattered and unconscious. They met another adventurer - a lizardfolk fighter by the name of Elaphe - and traveled with him into the nearby Palorima City.

After asking around for information on their new location, they learned they were in a place called the Darkrealm of Kalima - a smaller domain within Ravenloft “controlled” by an ancient druid of the same name. A large lake and a pair of waterways divided the realm in two; Palorima City sat on the lake’s east bank and stretched into a large space of no-man’s land called the Pure Ones’ Domain. The west side was a scarred battlefield: at its north laid an embassy to the Nine Hells and to the south laid a necropolis linked to a layer of the Abyss. Nightly battles between demons and devils ravaged the landscape; the only land untouched was a forest on the westernmost edge, home to a night hag named Auntie Agitha.

The party also learned that the realm of Kalima was under the effects of a mysterious plague - an incurable disease that lead to various forms of insanity and curses, prevented only by the acquirement of special charms from Agitha. Only people with such charms were allowed in the city, and the party ventured out to meet Agitha.

After talking with the night hag, the party decided to leave without getting charms - the price was making a deal with either the Embassy or the Necropolis, and they decided keeping their souls was in their best interest. They stayed the night, however, and Elaphe discovered a basement containing a tortured, mute elven prisoner by the name of Galinndan.

After rescuing him and heading back to Palorima, they were kicked out of the city by its guards for their lack of charms and sought refuge among the residents of the Pure Ones’ domain. At one of the houses - a cabin owned by a Goliath named Balrook, who they eventually learned the mysterious plague had turned into a werewolf - they met Anarrima, a Triton Druid.

The party also stayed the night in the manorly home of Avacyn, a hospitable Aasimar that Cyrus developed somewhat of a crush on. Anarrima, with his druidic abilities, determined that the plague was originating from Agitha’s cottage.

The party moved to confront her - but the effects of the plague had started to set in for the party and Silver found herself unreasonably paranoid. When she sensed a strange shift in magic going on, the party didn’t believe her and crossed onto the battlefield anyway. They found their hours of daylight suddenly vanishing, and the Embassy opened up for its nightly assault - they fought and killed a Bone Devil on their way back to safety.

After finally arriving at Agitha’s cottage and defeating her (and rescuing another prisoner in the process - this one was a dwarven woman), the party seems to have destroyed the source of the plague; but the plague itself remains as Silver develops an evil alternate personality that calls herself Steel Fang of the Hidden Mountain. The party reconvenes in Avacyn’s laboratory to decide how to proceed - and find a way to destroy the Hand of Vecna.


	2. Bio I: Silver Tongue of the Distant Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silver Tongue of the Distant Rain, 9th level Tabaxi Rogue (Assassin).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silver is played by the lovely Indila.

##  Appearance

Silver Tongue of the Distant Rain - Silver for short - is a Tabaxi: a lithe, cat-like humanoid that nearly crests 5’ 10” when she stands completely upright. Her body is covered in splotchy black-and-grey fur and she has amber eyes. She wears black pants and a black, long-sleeve shirt missing the midriff and complete with a hood. She tends to walk barefoot and has a pair of black gloves, missing the fingertips to accommodate her claws. She carries a largeish messenger bag with her wherever she goes.

##  Statistics

Silver is a Rogue - specifically the assassin archetype - and is of Chaotic Good alignment. As of level 9, her max HP is 65 and her armor class is 18. Her ability scores (and modifiers) are as follows: Strength 13 (+1), Dexterity 20 (+5), Constitution 14 (+2), Intelligence 16 (+3), Wisdom 14 (+2), and Charisma 20 (+5). She is proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws, and is proficient in the Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth skills. She dual-wields daggers.

##  Personality

Silver is, as most Tabaxi outside of their homelands are, well-traveled. She has learned much about the world from her travels and can speak Dwarvish, Elven, Common, Gnomish, and Halfling all with some amount of fluency; she also knows the universal rogues’ code of Thieves’ Cant.

Silver is extremely loyal to those she forms bonds with - Sweeper and Shadow of Death in particular. Unfortunately, she also tends to be paranoid - it’s a dangerous world out there, and who knows what threats could be lurking about to harm her or her friends. Her roguish charm makes her excellent at bargaining and negotiating, though she does have a bad habit of hoarding gold; a most unusual quirk for a Tabaxi. She has never liked spiders and never  _ will _ like spiders, though she has an affinity for pancakes - it’s not something they have back home and they are  _ delicious. _ Of her possessions, the small diamond earring she wears is the most precious to her.

##  History

Silver, like the vast majority of Tabaxi, hails from the tropical Abaxan Archipelago in the world’s northwest corner. She spent her childhood on Loxali Island, home of the Distant Rain tribe for which she is named. That particular tribe is known for its healers and hospitality, and it is likely from them that she derives her sense of kindness and loyalty, though perhaps not her skill set. Like many a Tabaxi, curiosity led her across the Emerald Sea to the rest of the world, where she traveled until reaching the isolated village of Shadebrook.

##  Steel Fang of the Hidden Mountain

Silver was the most affected by the curse hovering over Kalima in Ravenloft - an alternate personality emerged from some hidden recess in her mind, calling herself Steel Fang of the Hidden Mountain. Considering she is a rather new development, little is really known about her - just that whatever her intentions might be, they don’t appear to be good.

Of the little that  _ is _ known about Steel, she seems to hate the smell of vanilla and ironically her ability to lie is nowhere near on par with Silver’s.

Further complications arise in the fact that Steel seems to be aware of Silver, but the reverse doesn’t seem to be true. Considering that Steel claims to be of the Hidden Mountain tribe, a tribe known for its thieves and assassins, perhaps there are pieces of Silver’s past that even she does not fully know.


	3. Bio II: Sweeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweeper, 8th Level Kenku Monk (Way of Shadow).

##  Appearance

Sweeper is a Kenku - an race of anthropomorphic crows originally said to be from the elemental plane of air. According to legend, they once served and wronged a powerful deity of the plane, who took away their ability to fly and their ability to speak their own words. Indeed, all sounds Kenku are capable of making are simply mimicked pieces of past conversations they’ve heard. Sweeper is about 5’5” and is coated in black feathers. He dresses simply, in the tradition of the monastery he trained in, covered by a dark green cloak. He is missing his right arm (wing?), and possesses a ring of levitation - like all Kenku, he finds any form of flight exhilarating.

##  Statistics

Sweeper is a Monk, of the Way of Shadow, and is Lawful Neutral. As of level 8, his max HP is 56 and his AC is 17. His ability scores are as follows: Strength 13 (+1), Dexterity 18 (+4), Constitution 14 (+2), Intelligence 14 (+2), Wisdom 16 (+3), and Charisma 10 (+0). He is proficient with Strength and Dexterity saving throws and with the Acrobatics, Insight, Religion, and Stealth skills. He generally fights unarmed but can wield shurikens if he finds himself outranged.

##  Personality

Sweeper is generally very withdrawn and introspective; it’s in his nature and his training to avoid attention, and for the most part, he does. Most of the time he speaks only when spoken to. He is extremely disciplined and follows rules, laws, and directions to the letter - he finds it easier to fly under the radar that way and it usually lets him get what he wants done.

When he does indulge himself, it’s usually with food - he loves a well-cooked meal and always saves his leftovers (his parents were many things, but good cooks they were not.)

##  History

Sweeper hails from the diverse region of Gabbro. He and his many siblings lived in a small village on the east bank of the Goldblood river. When civil war broke out, his siblings were quick to go out and join the fight - perhaps too quick, considering none of them had any real battle experience. The war cost Sweeper his home, his arm, and most of his family - scars that remain on his psyche even to this day.

Leaving the turmoil of the newly formed republic of Lower Gabbro, Sweeper moved to Oz’Ama in the nearby nation of Ba’Ada. There he joined a monastery and devoted himself to the monastic tradition, honing himself into a formidable force even with his disability. He would never be helpless again.

After completing his training, Sweeper left Ba’Ada and traveled to the sleepy town of Shadebrook, where he hoped he would able to use his skills without ending up on the world’s stage. Little did he know, there was a lot more in store for him there.

##  Crumple and the Lower Gabbrian Army

One of Sweeper’s siblings, Crumple (named for the paper she was so often found scribbling on) was actually versed in war to an extent. She studied tactics from old books within her home, and when the rebellion in Lower Gabbro found itself in need of a tactician, she volunteered herself and her siblings.

While Sweeper refused to leave, the rest of his siblings followed her immediately. Crumple was, for the most part, successful at her job. Her worst defeat was near her own home village, a loss that left the town razed and all her siblings but Sweeper dead. The last time she saw him, he was fleeing from her home’s charred ruins, cradling a ruined right arm.

Lower Gabbro’s young government is now plagued by political intrigue, and Crumple fears that assassins are afoot. After learning that her brother was alive and had trained in the ways of stealth at Oz’Ama’s monastery, she contemplates reaching out to him - in her current position, the only thing she can trust is family, and she has precious little of that left.


	4. Bio III: Cyrus of the Three Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus of the Three Brothers, 7th Level Aasimar Sorcerer (Draconic Heritage).

##  Appearance

Cyrus is a mysterious man, to say the least. His face is usually shadowed by a hood, but when it isn’t, he has dark hair and his eyes shine blue with the ancient power he possesses. His skin is pale, though some claim it has a gold sheen to it in the right light, marking the gold dragon’s blood running underneath. He generally opts for monochrome clothing - his appearance draws enough attention by itself, and after the long life he’s lived he often finds that attention far more trouble than it’s worth.

##  Statistics

Cyrus is a Sorcerer, with Draconic Heritage being the source of his magic. He is Lawful Neutral and as of level 7 has a max HP of 46 and an AC of 16. His ability scores are as follows: Strength 5 (-3), Dexterity 15 (+2), Constitution 16 (+3), Intelligence 14 (+2), Wisdom 10 (+0), and Charisma 18 (+4). He is proficient with Constitution and Charisma saving throws and with the Arcana, Deception, History, and Insight skills. As a sorcerer, Cyrus tends to avoid close combat, but if it should come to blows, he can wield a dagger.

##  Personality

Cyrus’ long life has made him cunning and intelligent. He’s a bit of a smart-ass when he’s in the right mood, but a lot of his bravado seems to disappear when he’s around women. He’s excited by new experiences and won’t hesitate to try anything at least once.

##  History

While Cyrus is  _ technically _ an Aasimar, he reads far more draconic than he does angelic - it’s likely one of his ancestors was some type of divine dragon. As his name suggests, he is one of three brothers; one of them much more resembles his angelic heritage and the other actually possesses the blood of a demon. His brothers have long been lost to time, and Cyrus has traveled the world searching for them.

##  The Leviathan

Being essentially immortal has its pros and cons. He finds it difficult to make lasting bonds with people because of his tendency to outlive them by long margins. The exception was an ancient Leviathan that he befriended long ago - a creature whose life might last as long as his own.

Like his brothers, the Leviathan has long been lost to time and Cyrus keeps an eye out for him during his travels - though doing so is somewhat difficult considering that he is likely resting at the bottom of some murky ocean trench. Considering the creature’s vast wealth of knowledge, however, the Leviathan might need to become a priority; if anyone knows where in the cosmos Cyrus’ brothers have vanished to, it just might be the ancient sea monster.


	5. The Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party meets with the darklord druid Kalima in order to find a way to destroy the Hand of Vecna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Active players: Silver (Indila), Anarrima (Anarr1ma), Mika (Man_Who_Sold_The_World), Sweeper, and Elaphe.

Elaphe banged on the door to Avacyn’s laboratory inelegantly, fresh from killing a hag. To the party’s surprise, it wasn’t Avacyn who answered, but Cyrus.

“Guys, we gotta go,” Silver said, pushing herself to the front of the group.

“...Where are we going?” Cyrus asked, glancing back at something within the building. Elaphe peered inside to see Avacyn curled up in a corner, face hidden by her long, white hair. She appeared to have been crying.

Elaphe gave Cyrus a skeptical look. “Sorcerer, what did you do to her?”

Cyrus looked more than a little offended. “She was just like this when I woke up, I didn’t--”

“Why did you make her cry?” Mika scolded, skirting around the legs of her party members to get a better look at what was going on.

“I didn’t!” Cyrus said, face turning the lightest shade of red. Elaphe merely raised one of his brow-ridges.

Silver rolled her eyes at the both of them and entered the building to walk over to Avacyn, crouching down next to her. “Hey, why are you crying? Are you okay?” She asked gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Avacyn barely looked up at her. “Um… I’m fine, thank you.”

“Is the curse getting to you?” Silver asked.

Avacyn brushed her hair out of her eyes to reveal her gold-skinned face. “No, actually, it… seems to have gone away.” She tried to keep her voice even and pretend that she hadn’t just been crying, but it didn’t work very well.

“What? How?” Silver asked, surprised. “Like… poof? Gone?”

“Just… simultaneously for everyone at once, it’s just… gone?” Anarrima asked.

Avacyn looked at the floor. “I don’t know about everyone else, but…”

“I mean, do you feel better?” Silver asked her, trying to read her facial expressions.

Avacyn closed her eyes tightly. “I feel terrible.”

Anarrima caught on to what she was saying. “How were you afflicted by the curse before?” He asked.

Avacyn glanced away. “I don’t… I think it’s best if you all left. I have some things I need to attend to right now.” She got up and walked toward her basement door, closing it behind her as Elaphe tried to follow. He knocked on the door stubbornly.

Avacyn opened the door back up reluctantly. “Do you… need something?”

“What are you doing down there?” Elaphe asked her.

“Fixing a mistake,” Avacyn said. She sounded tired.

“Is the mistake a person?” Mika piped in, peering around Elaphe’s armored legs to look up at her.

“What have you done?” Elaphe asked. “Have you done anything to our sorcerer?” He gave Cyrus a sideways glance.

“No, he’s… the same way he was when you left,” Avacyn said.

“Here’s the real question,” Mika said. “What haven’t you done?”

Avacyn’s words caught in her throat and she started to sob into her hand, silvery tears falling from her eyes. Elaphe began glaring at Mika.

“Did you kill somebody?” Silver asked, tone a little more gentle. Avacyn began crying harder.

“It’s okay,” Mika said, waving her hands to make her stop. “It’s okay if you killed someone!” Sweeper rolled his eyes and stepped forward, imitating the sound of a mother hushing a crying child. The tears gradually came to a stop.

“Why are you crying so much?” Elaphe asked, his lack of emotions keeping him from understanding.

“Oh, don’t be so apathetic,” Mika scolded him.

“I prefer to keep my demons to myself,” Avacyn told Elaphe. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked, anxious to return to whatever she was doing downstairs.

Silver did speak up. “Do you know anything about Vecna?” she asked.

“I know _of_ him, sure,” Avacyn said. “He’s the god of secrets.”

“Oh, how convenient,” Mika rolled her eyes. “Is he a god of lies?”

“Lies, secrets… espionage to some degree,” Avacyn replied. “Why would you be curious about such a god?”

“Well, I happen to have his severed hand in my bag,” Silver said.

Avacyn blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“I have his _hand_ in my messenger bag,” Silver repeated.

Avacyn looked completely flustered. “But… why… _why_ would want something… like that? Y-You shouldn’t… shouldn’t have that.”

“Why should we not have that?” Silver asked, both relieved and worried they were finally making some sort of progress on learning what the thing was. Elaphe and Mika stood off to the side, discussing something.

Avacyn pinched the bridge of her nose. “Artifacts of that power tend to draw unwanted attention. And I mean no offense, but… they typically aren’t in the possession of very good people. No one should have something like that.”

A lightbulb seemed to click over Elaphe’s head as he searched his brain for information about Vecna. He was one of the goodly gods, he remembered. He lived in… Celestia? That sounded about right. And of course, if he was a goodly god, then it would probably be a good idea to return his hand to him. He discussed the matter with Mika, who after a brief period of thought agreed with him. Elaphe turned back to the group.

“I think we should return this hand to Vecna,” he said.

“For once, I agree with the monstrosity,” Mika said, nodding.

“Um...no,” Silver said, extremely confused.

Avacyn looked mildly horrified. “Uh… maybe I should take that,” she said, gesturing to Silver’s messenger bag. Silver shook her head.

“What is it supposed to do?” Elaphe asked.

The aasimar woman looked exasperated. “I don’t know! It’s the severed hand of the lord of secrets, and it’s supposed to be lost!”

“I like secrets,” Mika said, looking at Elaphe.

Avacyn and Silver ignored her. “Yeah, well, I found it, so… what do I do with it?” Silver asked.

“I… Isn’t that something you should have been figuring out?”

“We have no idea what to do with it. It’s been in my bag for the whole trip,” Silver explained. “A friend of ours said that we needed to come to Ravenloft to destroy it,” she said.

Elaphe butted into the conversation. “How do we use it?” he asked.

Silver gave him a concerned look. “How do we _destroy_ it?” she corrected.

Avacyn looked at Elaphe with more than a little panic. “You should… no, no! _Don’t_ use it,” she said.

“If it’s a goodly artifact, don’t you think it would be prudent to use it to your advantage?” Elaphe said, confused.

“I think it would,” Mika said, agreeing with him. Avacyn’s face grew even more concerned. “You know, I think I heard somewhere that if you hold hands with it, you disappear!”

Sweeper observed the conversation silently, trying to remember what he knew about Vecna (since he was fairly certain the information his teammates had come up with was inaccurate). He was definitely an evil god; once a mortal man, if he recalled correctly, that became a lich for thousands of years and eventually ascended to godhood. He’d have to share that later.

Avacyn turned back to Silver. “If you came to Ravenloft specifically, then the only person I could think to go to around here would be Kalima. This darkrealm is named after her.”

“I thought this land was called Ravenloft,” Elaphe said.

“That is the… dimension, if you will. The specific region you are in is Kalima.”

“Where is she?” Anarrima asked.

“In Kalima’s Grove, in the middle of the lake,” Avacyn answered. “She was, at one point, a druid. She was of the mindset that civilization was an abomination to nature, and she went around razing villages and things of that sort. When she became a darklord, she was given a beautiful, unblemished natural paradise on the island in the lake - surrounded on all sides by defiled water with a large city on one shore and a desecrated battlefield on the other. Like all darkrealms, Kalima doubles as both a prison and a paradise for its darklord. She is trapped on that island, as far as I know.”

* * *

 

A short period of planning later, Elaphe headed off to Balrook’s cottage to grab Azerith and Charity, and Silver was busying herself with a disguise. Her work was masterful - it took a lot of rubber, but eventually she transformed into an elderly human man, bald on top with a wispy, greying beard. Silver entered the city of Palorima and traveled along the city’s lakeshore until she finally found a marina.

“I need to buy a boat,” she said, voice matching her disguise perfectly.

“What kind of boat are you looking for, sir?” the shopkeeper asked.

“Something to get me across the lake. I need to visit the Necropolis.”

“I see. Something small, for one person?”

“Somewhat big. I am transporting some goods as well.”

The woman nodded and led Silver to a dinghy, large enough to fit her party if they packed in like sardines. After a small exchange of coin, Silver rode her new boat down the shore to the Southern Fields, where her friends were waiting. “Need a ride, kids?”

Mika gave the strange old man a creeped-out look and turned to Elaphe. “I think he might be a pedophile,” she whispered.

“We’re all adults here,” Elaphe said.

“Yes, but I’m short and he has bad eyesight.”

Silver pinched the bridge of her nose. “Guys, it’s me,” she sighed, exasperated. She started removing her disguise as everyone climbed on board and began to sail to Kalima’s Grove.

The lakewater was a disgusting shade of murky yellow-green until they reached the island - about three feet out from the shoreline in any direction, the water was pristine and crystal clear.

Elaphe laid down on the shore and began chugging the water with his mouth open while everyone else filled up bottles and canteens. Then, the party split up to look for the fallen druid, with Cyrus, Shadow, and Tenebris remaining on the boat to watch over Charity.

Elaphe managed to find and eat a squirrel whole while Anarrima headed directly for the center of the island, drawn by the power of a fellow druid. He came across a roughly circular clearing, and called everyone over.

Elaphe unsheathed his longsword as Anarrima tossed a rock into the grove, looking for a reaction. Nothing happened.

Most of the party entered the clearing, but Anarrima decided to stay at the edge. Still, nothing happened until Elaphe stepped directly into the circle’s center. A wall of young trees and vines sprung up from the ground at the edge of the clearing, shoving Anarrima inside and intertwining to form a wall.

A booming voice echoed through the clearing, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. “Who dares defile my sacred island?”

“Kalima? Is that you?” Silver asked. “We need your help.” A tangle of vines snaked into the clearing and formed what appeared to be a woman, made of thorn-covered wood and dripping sap. “We have a present for you that you need to destroy.”

“And why would _I_ help _you_?” Kalima sneered. “What could you possibly offer me besides getting your filthy paws off of my soil?”

“Oh, my paws are filthy now, are they?” Mika said, leaning on one hip flirtatiously.

Elaphe raised a brow ridge at the halfling. “First off, I would like to state that only one member of our group has paws. Second, mine are claws. Third, we need your help. That is why we are here.”

Kalima gave him a flat look. “Are you done yet?”

“He’s insufferable, isn’t he?” Mika sighed.

“So are you,” Kalima said.

“Ah yes, but I’m quite entertaining, aren’t I?” Mika said, placing a hand over her chest.

“Not at all.”

“Oh… you wound me,” Mika said, pouting a little.

Kalima turned to Anarrima. “You. What business do you have here?”

“I’m traveling with these men and women,” he answered simply.

“Why soil yourself like this?” Kalima asked, staring at the rest of the party with disgust - particularly Mika and her finely-tailored clothes.

“Well you see, I just woke up in this realm one day and didn’t really have a choice,” Anarrima answered.

“Hmm. Charming,” Kalima said, turning to Silver. “What exactly do you want my help destroying?”

“An artifact,” Silver said.

Kalima’s jaw tightened. “What _kind_ of artifact? I’m tired of your games.”

“A powerful one,” Silver said, still not giving anything away. “Interested?”

“It’ll be well worth your time,” Anarrima told her. “From one druid to another.”

Kalima extended her hand. “Show it to me and I’ll see what I can do.” Silver took the locked box out of her messenger bag and opened it for a brief moment, revealing the mummified hand within. Kalima’s eyebrows raised. “The Hand of Vecna. Where would you have acquired such a thing?”

“I stole it,” Silver shrugged.

“Of course you did,” Kalima said.

“Well, we figured it was bad and that bad people would be after it, so Azerith told us to take it here so you could destroy it,” Silver explained. “At least, we assume it’s you.”

“Such an artifact is not easily disposed of,” Kalima said.

“We know,” Silver replied.

Kalima chuckled, and after a long pause, said, “Perhaps. It comes with a price, though.”

“What kind of price?” Sweeper asked, stringing a sentence together with stolen words.

“I’m willing to sell any of their souls,” Elaphe chimed in.

“I’m willing to sell my soul, but nobody else’s,” Mika said.

Kalima chuckled again. “Oh, I don’t want souls. The ritual requires a price in blood. A life, to be exact.”

Mika thought for a moment. “You know, I _did_ just read about a spell to raise the dead,” she said. “We could offer one of our own lives, and I could bring them back.”

“I still think it’s a bad idea to destroy the hand,” Elaphe said. “We should use it. Do you know how to use it?” he asked Kalima.

“Sever your own hand and place the stump to Vecna’s,” Kalima said off-handedly. Elaphe immediately looked at the box in Silver’s hands.

“I mean, why _shouldn’t_ we use this hand, though?” Mika asked. “Why shouldn’t we wield this power? The god is _good_.” Everyone gave her a blank stare. “Is that not correct? Is everything I’ve been taught my entire life wrong?”

Elaphe snatched the box from Silver and dashed away, prying it open as he did so. Mika reacted and grabbed it away from him before he could take out its contents, only to find that the box was already empty. Elaphe began gnawing at his own wrist, and Anarrima muttered an incantation under his breath to fix the damage. Frustrated, Elaphe took out his longsword and attempted to hack off his hand.

“What on earth are you doing?” Mika shouted, trying to wrestle the weapon out of his claws. Elaphe accidentally bashed her in the side of the head with the sword pommel, but on her second attempt she somehow managed to get the sword and toss it away. Then she grabbed his knees and tackled him to the ground.

Kalima glared at them. “And you think you’re above animals,” she scoffed. Elaphe eventually kicked the halfling off and resumed gnawing at his hand.

“The hand isn’t in the chest, you fool!” Mika said to him.

Elaphe stopped his chewing. “What?”

Meanwhile, Silver, Anarrima, and Sweeper stood around Kalima, trying to get a better grasp of what the ritual required.

“I’m going to rip the heart out of someone’s chest,” Kalima finally said, tired of the bombardment of questions. “Whose it is is up to you. But I’m not letting you leave to grab another life.” Elaphe had calmed down by this point, and they both rejoined the rest of the group.

“So… who’s willing to die?” Mika asked. The mood grew somber. “It can’t be me, I have to perform the resurrection ritual.”

“Why does it have to be _one_ life?” Anarrima sighed.

“Oh, I can kill all of you if you prefer,” Kalima said.

Azerith spoke up. “If a life is required for the ritual, then… you can take mine,” he told the group.

“We can’t kill you, you have a daughter! The rest of us… we’re nothing. You have someone to live for.” Mika said.

“She’s probably safer without me,” Azerith said, glancing away.

“Is she?” Mika asked, stepping closer to him.

“If he’s offering himself…” Silver said, shrugging lightly. She didn’t look very happy about the prospect.

“I won’t have any part in it,” Mika said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Just because you like him,” Sweeper said. “You’ll have other crushes.”

“It’s not a matter of crushes, he’s a father! I’m the one who has to bring back whoever we choose, and I won’t be responsible for a failure on him.”

Elaphe put his hands up to get them to stop arguing. “After my… behavior just now; I hardly know any of you, but I would like to apologize for my earlier actions. And I’m sorry if I tried to cut your head off,” he said, nodding to Mika. “It was not intentional, but you got in my way. Regardless; I don’t have any family in these realms. No one will miss me if I’m gone. So, I will sacrifice myself as penance for my actions.”

“Are you sure about this?” Mika asked.

Elaphe nodded and turned to Kalima. “So what do I have to do?”

A thin smile appeared on the druid’s lips. “Stand still.” With a snap of her fingers, vines sprung up from the ground to bind the lizard-man’s limbs.

Elaphe’s eyes widened. “This is going to hurt, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Kalima’s fingers grew into long, sharpened thorns, and with one blow she pierced through his armor and through his scales, ripping his beating heart from his chest. “Hand, please,” she said to Silver as Elaphe’s blood poured out onto the ground. The tabaxi handed it over.

“Strange. I never thought he had a heart,” Mika said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work very well. A sickly green light began to emanate from Kalima’s body, and with a flash of energy, the hand, the heart, and the druid all disappeared.

The vine wall receded. “Now get off my island,” her voice said, echoing around them.

“Um… you wouldn’t happen to know a way out of Ravenloft, would you?” Silver asked, glancing at Elaphe’s body.

“The Necropolis and the Embassy lead to the lower planes. That’s the only way out of Ravenloft I’ve ever seen,” Kalima said. “Oh, and I wouldn’t bother with your little resurrection spell. It won’t work after that ritual. Now get OUT.”

“But… that’s not fair!” Mika shouted. But there was no response. Reluctantly, she helped the party carry Elaphe’s body back to the boat.

They sailed back to the Southern fields and buried him before setting up camp for the night. Silver called Azerith over. “So… hell or the Abyss? You’re kinda the expert on this,” she said.

“There are pros and cons to both,” Azerith began. “The Abyss is a realm of chaos. It’s essentially a giant maze with theoretically infinite layers to it, and I don’t really know a specific way out. We could wander around for a while and hope we find something, but… there’s no guarantee. The Nine Hells on the other hand, I do know a way to leave from, except… my father lives there.”

“A vote, then?” Silver asked. Silver and Sweeper both raised their hands for the Nine Hells; Anarrima did as well when Silver placed a knife against his back. With Shadow and Cyrus on board as well, it was enough to override the others. “Nine Hells it is.”

* * *

 

Kalima rolled the bloody heart in her hands. “One more for the collection,” she smiled. The ground of the clearing opened up to reveal a vast pit of vines, each attached to a heart of various types and sizes. A new one grew up to take Elaphe’s, and it joined the others below. They were all beating together in perfect rhythm.

“Now, what to do with you?” Kalima sighed to the severed hand. “Mmm. I’ll think of some way to dispose of you.” She casually tossed the hand into the pit as the earth resealed itself, and the druid returned to her precious trees.


End file.
